Kubernetes vs Docker: A Primer – Techbytes
As a developer, you may hear the conversation around Docker and Kubernetes as the idea that you need to choose one or the other. You may be on our website because you are trying to figure out which one is right for you. However, the best way to use either of these two options is to use them together.
While there are some differences between Docker and Kubernetes, there are also many similarities and ways that these two options in the software can come together. Let's take a closer look at how both of these work individually to see how well they work together.
How Docker Works with the Idea of Containerization
Docker is unique as an open-source technology and a container file format that helps automate any application as portable and self-sufficient containers. These containers can run in one of two ways, either in the cloud or on-premise, based on what works the best for the business.
Docker, Inc shares a very similar name. Still, it is one of the companies that can cultivate the open-source Docker technology to run on both Windows and Linux if necessary, by collaborating with different cloud providers, including Microsoft.
While the idea of isolating environments is not necessarily new and there are several choices available when developers want to choose software for containerization, Docker is now seen as one of the default formats for these containers in recent times. There are many reasons for this. Docker features what is known as the Docker Engine, which is a runtime environment that will allow you to build and then run the containers you want, using any machine, while storing and sharing the images of the boxes through a container registry. Azure Container Registry and Docker Hub are two options for storing and sharing you may choose.
As your application starts to grow, it may need to span through many containers across more than one server. When this happens, operating them without a lot of errors and issues becomes more complicated. Even though Docker does offer a way to handle all of your containers at once, it can be hard to coordinate and schedule many boxes simultaneously. And figuring out the best way to let these containers in the app talk to one another is another challenge.
This is where Kubernetes will come in to help.
Kubernetes As the Orchestrator of Your Containers
If you are working with Docker but find that your work has gotten more complex and challenging to orchestrate and handle with just that program alone, then Kubernetes may be the right option to help you out here.
Kubernetes is an open-source orchestration software that will provide you with an API to control how and where all of your containers will run, based on what is most effective. This software will make it easier for developers to run their Docker containers and workloads. At the same time, they tackle some of the operational complexities that happen naturally when you scale to many containers across many servers.
Kubernetes is going to make your job easier. As you start, all the great features of Docker will be enough to get the work done. But you will quickly find that when you need to scale and work on a lot of containers and servers, Docker is not able to work on its own. Kubernetes will help you put all of this together.
Kubernetes will make it easier for developers to orchestrate a cluster of virtual machines that will schedule containers based on how many resources you have on your computer and how many resources each box will ask for. Containers can then be grouped into pods, which is what we call the basic operational unit with this software. From there, the pods and containers are scaled to the state you desire to help the app keep running well.
How are Docker and Kubernetes Different?
While many people want to compare Kubernetes with Docker, a better way to make this comparison is to have Kubernetes with Docker Swarm. Docker Swarm is the orchestration technology that will help focus all the clustering for containers in Docker.
A significant difference between these two software options is that Kubernetes is meant to work with a cluster, and Docker will only use a single node. Kubernetes can often do more extensive work than Docker and is intended to help coordinate groups of nodes at scale to make them more efficient. The pods from Kubernetes can also schedule any units with one or more containers in this whole system to make it work out better.
How Can Docker and Kubernetes Work Together?
This brings us to the point of how both software options can work together. Docker is often a great resource that allows you to make containers and store different parts of your app or program inside. This is efficient, though it starts to run into problems as you try to scale and develop your plan or app.
Kubernetes can take some of these challenges and kick them out. Kubernetes will help you scale the work you do in Docker, which in turn makes your app more efficient, no matter which platform it is on. To keep it simple, Kubernetes can be used with Docker in several situations, including to:
Make the infrastructure you use more robust, which then helps the app you create become more available. The app will always remain online, even if you have a situation where some nodes go offline.
It makes your application easier to scale. If your app starts to get more load, and you need to scale out to get the best experience for the user, it is simple to add more containers or move some more nodes into one of the clusters without the drag time or other issues.
Both Docker and Kubernetes are great options to use when developing your apps and programs and making sure they work no matter which platform you decide to work with them on. One will provide you with the containers and organization you need, and another will give you the scalability that will get your app and program out to the world.
